This is awesome, and for reference: Kevin Crawford's Worlds Without Number has great tools to assist with the creation of factions that are unique and layered and it's free.
The biggest issue I have with running intrigues in fantasy TTRPGs in particular, is the fact that most of the mechanics and tools revolve around combat. It's happened to me time and time again that players equipped with hammers (damage dealing abilities) saw everything as a nail and just wanted to do combat. I love running intrigues though and I'm not gonna stop lol
I’m a history and politics fiend, so it’s always in my games. Btw, just discovered your channel and you’re killing it. Please keep rolling out the content!
This is a solid introduction to the topic. I agree that NPCs and Factions need more than just a relationship map to make political intrigue work. I can't help but feel that this takes more than a voiceover video and needs to "show the work," so to speak. It'd be nice to see some of your notes, structure, NPCs, factions, and how you have set the whole thing up.
Yeah. I'll include it in the next video. Didn't really think people would be all that interested in my scribbling tbh lol. I do like Obsidian though, it's a note taking app that will show you the literal web of connections when you connect the pages together.
Fantastic video as usual! I personally love politics in my game, I believe your stories should challenge players’ beliefs and ideals. I have been a dungeon master for over 20, nearly 25 years, and among many ttrpg experiences, I have been playing with one group of friends throughout most of my life, so we know each other very well and we never had problems with sensitivity or touchy topics. This allows me to use very harsh and delicate subjects in my politics, such as religious conflicts, racism, class divide… and the way players get passionate about that stuff is truly unique, nothing comes close to the engagement you get from those interactions. Of course I understand this isn’t possible for many other gms, and even I don’t go too hard when I’m playing with any other group, but when you have the opportunity of getting really into that kind of stuff, and you see how people react, that’s the good stuff.
Thank you for the crediting the movies as we asked. I'm looking forward for the next vid. I'm really curious how much embracing Zettelkasten changed how you think. Knowledge management is fascinating topic. Pursuing multiple trains of thought simultaneously via linking them in a web felt like finally learning to write how I think. Incidentally we just discussed Obsidian on the Elder Goblin Games discord couple of days ago.
To be honest I think I've kinda always taken notes this way? Even prior to something like Obsidian which gives you the literal visual representation of it. Tracking this stuff has never really been the difficult part for me personally, although I can understand how it might be for others. To me it's just the creative effort of finding spots within the lore or setting or whatever and then creating to fill that spot. Interesting stuff, I'll check em out!
I love this ❤ My players once decided to fight for a demonic wooden puppet acting as king, instead of be on the side of resistance. That was very surprising as a DM but fun.
Another great video I recommend to anyone who is interested in political intrigue type stories that they check out Urban Shadows or any Powered by the Apocalypse system
I have tried this sort of style in a few games. It is worth noting that some players just don't like this. I probably didn't do this fantastically but my players really didn't like it. They found this kind of thinking and working out complexity approach ruined there ability to role play, and was to complex. I tried making them active agents in this but they just didn't really take to this. I suppose ultimately what I'm saying is this works for some players but not all.
Might be a bit disappointing of an answer but the only tool I use to generate factions is Obsidian which is a note taking software. I don't use tables or anything to generate factions, I just creatively think them up. Usually by trying to find open spots within the world or wherever and then just coming up with a unique faction compared to the ones around that fills a unique niche.
@TrillTheDM can you give us some examples of factions you created? I'm a more pratical type of guy so I need examples, procedures, step to follow etc...
I love drinking people like juice packs. I love struggling with my slow descent into a state less than but also beyond humanity. I love my tig bitty goth girls.
This is awesome, and for reference: Kevin Crawford's Worlds Without Number has great tools to assist with the creation of factions that are unique and layered and it's free.
I was about to mention that lol. That book is absolutely amazing for building factions.
The biggest issue I have with running intrigues in fantasy TTRPGs in particular, is the fact that most of the mechanics and tools revolve around combat. It's happened to me time and time again that players equipped with hammers (damage dealing abilities) saw everything as a nail and just wanted to do combat. I love running intrigues though and I'm not gonna stop lol
I’m a history and politics fiend, so it’s always in my games.
Btw, just discovered your channel and you’re killing it. Please keep rolling out the content!
Appreciate the kind words!
This is a solid introduction to the topic. I agree that NPCs and Factions need more than just a relationship map to make political intrigue work. I can't help but feel that this takes more than a voiceover video and needs to "show the work," so to speak. It'd be nice to see some of your notes, structure, NPCs, factions, and how you have set the whole thing up.
Yeah. I'll include it in the next video. Didn't really think people would be all that interested in my scribbling tbh lol. I do like Obsidian though, it's a note taking app that will show you the literal web of connections when you connect the pages together.
Fantastic video as usual!
I personally love politics in my game, I believe your stories should challenge players’ beliefs and ideals.
I have been a dungeon master for over 20, nearly 25 years, and among many ttrpg experiences, I have been playing with one group of friends throughout most of my life, so we know each other very well and we never had problems with sensitivity or touchy topics.
This allows me to use very harsh and delicate subjects in my politics, such as religious conflicts, racism, class divide… and the way players get passionate about that stuff is truly unique, nothing comes close to the engagement you get from those interactions.
Of course I understand this isn’t possible for many other gms, and even I don’t go too hard when I’m playing with any other group, but when you have the opportunity of getting really into that kind of stuff, and you see how people react, that’s the good stuff.
Thank you for the crediting the movies as we asked. I'm looking forward for the next vid. I'm really curious how much embracing Zettelkasten changed how you think. Knowledge management is fascinating topic. Pursuing multiple trains of thought simultaneously via linking them in a web felt like finally learning to write how I think. Incidentally we just discussed Obsidian on the Elder Goblin Games discord couple of days ago.
To be honest I think I've kinda always taken notes this way? Even prior to something like Obsidian which gives you the literal visual representation of it. Tracking this stuff has never really been the difficult part for me personally, although I can understand how it might be for others. To me it's just the creative effort of finding spots within the lore or setting or whatever and then creating to fill that spot. Interesting stuff, I'll check em out!
I love this ❤
My players once decided to fight for a demonic wooden puppet acting as king, instead of be on the side of resistance. That was very surprising as a DM but fun.
Another great video
I recommend to anyone who is interested in political intrigue type stories that they check out Urban Shadows or any Powered by the Apocalypse system
And how you manage the network of factions? Do you use some tools? Can you share maybe your actual writings/notes of your campaigns?
Very good video
Glad you enjoyed!
❤❤❤
I have tried this sort of style in a few games. It is worth noting that some players just don't like this. I probably didn't do this fantastically but my players really didn't like it. They found this kind of thinking and working out complexity approach ruined there ability to role play, and was to complex. I tried making them active agents in this but they just didn't really take to this. I suppose ultimately what I'm saying is this works for some players but not all.
What tools/tables/procedures do you use to generate factions, intrigues and sphere of influences?
Might be a bit disappointing of an answer but the only tool I use to generate factions is Obsidian which is a note taking software. I don't use tables or anything to generate factions, I just creatively think them up. Usually by trying to find open spots within the world or wherever and then just coming up with a unique faction compared to the ones around that fills a unique niche.
@TrillTheDM can you give us some examples of factions you created? I'm a more pratical type of guy so I need examples, procedures, step to follow etc...
ya like vtm?
I love drinking people like juice packs. I love struggling with my slow descent into a state less than but also beyond humanity. I love my tig bitty goth girls.